On Jan. 1, 2017, Philadelphia became one of the first U.S. cities to pass a tax ($0.15 per oz) on sugary drinks, including artificially sweetened beverages, such as diet soda. In California, San Francisco, Albany, Berkeley, and Oakland have joined Philadelphia in this initiative, as well as Boulder, Colorado; Cook County, Illinois; and Seattle.

Even those across the pond are starting to take notice in the benefits of the tax, and on March 8, 2017, the British government confirmed that it, too, would establish a new sugary-drink tax, known as the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL). This measure will pass two separate taxes of 18 pence and 24 pence per liter ($0.23 and $0.30 per 33.814 oz) for sugar-added drinks. Other countries that are following suit include Denmark, France, Hungary, Ireland, Mexico, Norway, and South Africa.

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